ABSTRACT
The framework was launched by the Federal Government of Somalia and is aimed at improving equitable access to acceptable, affordable, and quality health services. The Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) helps define health system standards for the government, United Nations and non-governmental organizations, agencies, and private service providers. The health workers, the essential drugs and technologies necessary for implementing the EPHS programmatic interventions were also standardized. Health service delivery is structured around the framework of the EPHS, developed in 2009. The local communities are not sufficiently empowered to make healthy decisions and actively participate in improving their health status, while cultural and economic factors also contribute to decreased utilization of available health services. Evidence shows that the majority of patients seek help from the private sector which indicates poor access to public health facilities, particularly for rural and nomadic populations.
